Hainault is a quiet but lush suburban London neighbourhood that’s nestled in the forests of Ilford. With affordable housing and multiple schools like Manford Primary School, it’s no surprise that families are attracted to the neighbourhood. Still, there’s reason to visit even if you’re not looking to settle down in the area. Home to the expansive Hainault Forest Country Park, which includes a vast wood, open green space, and even a golf club. Once at the forest, visitors can hike, stop by the petting zoo, or even participate in an orienteering course. Afterwards, it’s worth strolling down Manford Way and stopping for a hot tea at Hainault Cafe while peering at the nearby Hainault War Memorial. Despite much of the neighbourhood’s rural feel and its geographical distance from central London, Hainault Forest is actually quite easy to access on the Central line, which stops in central Hainault, making it great both for commuters and for travellers out on a day trip into nature.

The neighbourhood of Hainault dates back to 1221 when it was largely forest and countryside near the Abbey of Barking. The forest itself was once part of the huge Forest of Essex. It covered most of the county and was owned by Barking Abbey until the monsteries were dissolved in the 1530s. In 1851 an Act of Parliament condemned the forest land as waste, leading to its deforestation and the removal of its deer to become marginal agricultural land to the outrage of many Londoners and those from Essex. A group led by the Liberal Party politician and conservationist Edward North Buxton piled pressure on the London County Council to purchase the forest to protect it from further development, and in 1906 the LCC bought 804 acres (1 square km) and dedicated it to public use forever. Today it’s known as Hainault Forest Country Park, and boasts not just woodland but also a lake and golf courses.

In 2012, temporary hotel rooms were set up in the Hainault Forest Country Park for nearly 4,000 Olympics security staff members. The rooms were constructed by a temporary accommodation start-up called Snoozebox.

Despite the neighbourhood attracting many families, the houses in the area lack the charm that other suburbs boast. Mostly modest post-war homes, few of them are all that memorable. However, residents don’t mind this as they are benefiting greatly from the affordable prices in the area.

The high profile development Edge, on the former site of the Alfreds Head pub, Manford Way, is set to complete in 2023 bringing with it over 100 luxury apartments in a seven-storey building within a mile of the forest itself.